2013–2017 · Cruiser · Buyer's Guide
Sold in the US as Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy Lo FLSTFB
The Blacked-Out Boulevard Bruiser
The Fat Boy Lo takes the 1690 cc air-cooled 45° V-twin and wraps it in a slammed, blacked-out body that reads as pure attitude from thirty feet away. You get 97 lb-ft at just 3,250 rpm and 78 hp, fed through a belt and a six-speed box, all of it sitting low over solid disc wheels and a fat 200-section rear tire. The 24.3-inch seat drops you deep into the machine. This is a cruiser that leans on stance and metal rather than numbers, and in this segment that is exactly the point.
On the road it ages the way heavy steel cruisers do, which is to say slowly and with character, as long as you keep the belt and the finishes cared for. It suits a rider who wants presence first and a relaxed, low-slung place to sit while the miles roll by at boulevard and highway pace. The honest caveat is comfort and stopping. The lowered chassis rides firm over rough surfaces, and the single front disc asks you to plan ahead, especially two-up. Buy it for what it is, a statement you ride, and it delivers.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 78 hp (58 kW) @ 5,350 rpm |
|---|---|
| Torque | 97 lb-ft (132 Nm) @ 3,250 rpm |
| Displacement | 1690 cc |
| Engine | 45° V-twinMotorcycles With V-Twin Engines → |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | BeltMotorcycles With Belt Drive → |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 292 mm |
| Front tire | 140/75-17 |
| Rear tire | 200/55-17 |
| Wheelbase | 64.2 in (1630 mm) |
| Seat height | 24.3 in (616 mm)Motorcycles With a Seat Height Under 30 Inches → |
| Wet weight | 728 lb (330 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 5.0 gal (18.9 L) |
Equipment check
Safety
This section isn't my own verdict. It's what I've gathered over years of listening to the people who actually ride the Fat Boy Special, from paddock talk and club-night conversation to the owners who message me directly. Line it all up and the story holds steady: the motor and the dark styling do the winning, and the stiff ride is what owners accept in return.
The praise starts with the engine. Riders come back again and again to its low-end muscle, the way it makes town work and highway passing feel easy while staying smooth once the pace picks up. Close behind, plenty single out the murdered-out styling, the dark finish and satin accents that set this build apart from the brighter standard Fat Boy. And many settle happily into the low seat and forward controls for long, unhurried hours on the boulevard.
The downsides come up less often, but the same ones keep repeating. Some owners point to the firm, short-travel suspension that lets rough pavement come straight through to the seat. Others flag hard parts touching down early once the road bends, a notchy change through the lower gears, and a front brake that wants a firm hand to slow the weight.
Harsh ride over bumps
The lowered suspension offers limited travel, resulting in a jarring ride on poorly maintained roads.
Floorboards scrape in corners
Due to low ground clearance, the floorboards touch down even in mild turns, limiting lean angle.
Clunky gear shifting
The transmission can feel notchy, with a loud clunk when engaging first gear, and less precise upshifts.
Weak front brake performance
The single front disc struggles to slow the heavy bike confidently, especially two-up riding.
Where this Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy Special FLSTFB pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Softail Fat Boy Special FLSTFB is actually built for.
This is your bike. The sound, the metal, and the blacked-out attitude turn heads at Sturgis or Daytona, and it rewards the slow, deliberate rhythm that defines that whole ride culture.
Made for Florida State Road A1A · Black Hills · Main Street, Daytona Beach
For classic routes and small towns at an easy pace, the styling and low-slung comfort fit right in. Just plan around the firm ride and modest brakes when the pavement turns rough.
Made for Park Loop Road · Handbuilt Motorcycle Show · Blue Ridge Parkway
Honest fit at a 49% match. It has the highway stability and presence for long days, but the firm lowered ride and single front disc make heavy two-up touring harder work than a purpose-built tourer.
Made for Beartooth Highway · Blue Ridge Parkway · Going-to-the-Sun Road
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2012
Blacked-Out Fat Boy Built Different
Compare to the previous model →If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Harley-Davidson Softail Fat Boy Special FLSTFB. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
Compare it with every bike that shares the same spec or equipment.
